Lespedeza capitata

Native

Dry to moderate moisture. Prairies, sand dunes, woodland openings. Full to partial sun.

July to September

Cream colored (yellowish-white), with a pinkish or purple throat.

2′ to 4′

This is a 2′ to 4′ tall, erect, perennial forb that rises on one or more stems from a taproot.

The stems are erect, leafy, and usually unbranched or with a few branches above the middle. They are densely covered with soft, silvery hairs.

The leaves are alternate, and compound, divided into 3 leaflets. They are on short, 1 ⁄16″ to 3 ⁄16″ long leaf stalks. The stalk of the terminal leaflet is longer than the leaf stalk. The leaflets are ascending, oval, 1″ to 2″ long, ⅜″ to ¾″ wide, and may be tipped with a short, sharp, abrupt point. The hairiness of the upper surface is variable. They are usually covered in dense, soft, appressed, hairs, and often have a silvery sheen, but they may be hairless. The lower surface is always covered in dense, soft, appressed hairs. The margins are untoothed.

The inflorescence is a round, head-like, dense cluster of 10 to 45 crowded flowers. The clusters are on a short stalk at the ends of stems and branches, or are unstalked in the leaf axils. The flower heads turn dark brown when they mature.

The flowers are from less than ¼″ to ⅜″ long and pea-like, with 5 petals organized into a broad banner at the top, 2 narrow wings, and a keel in the center formed by two petals fused together at the tip. The petals are cream colored (yellowish-white) with a pinkish or purple patch near the throat. There is no floral scent.

The fruit is a 1-seeded, hairy pod, about 1 ⁄5″ long.

Prairie bush clover (Lespedeza leptostachya) has narrower leaves and loose flower heads.